30 Thoughts in 2024

What’s this? A BLOG post?

It has been quite some time since I took the time to craft out some words by hand, but given the current landscape I’m operating in during the summer of 2024, this is as good as it gets for me right now. More on that in a moment.

So…why the blog? In a year of very little, why take the time to post something now?

First of all, I have a few thoughts rolling around and sometimes it’s always easiest just to get them out of my head…somewhere…to allow me to move on to something else.

Usually, I like to record a summer podcast episode that allows me to do just this…get my thoughts out, catch up on what’s been going on, a few thoughts and whatnot…but this summer has just taken the life out of me and it’s been difficult to formulate much of anything.

Funny thing is…I had a lot of these details ironed out for a podcast episode but…well…I figured I’d take the time to write these down in a ‘30 Thoughts for A Diluted Mind’ post instead. Wanna know why? Let’s find out.

1. A few months ago, right before summer began I moved my gaming space/office from our basement to our main floor. I switched rooms with my son (9) so that all of my kids can enjoy the basement space, which has more room and just made more sense. It’s not as ideal for me, having a little less space for my hobbies, but it’s been a good move for our family for a variety of reasons. Still, the move forced me to downscale, and presented a few positives and negatives

   
   

2. First, the negatives; less space. It’s a smaller room, and I have a lot of junk, so it did force me to downsize a little bit. While there is some good that came with it (forcing me to de-clutter) it made me realize that some things just had to go, and that I needed to be more organized. I’ve downsized and gotten rid of most of my physical collections of most everything, but it still wasn’t enough. Deciding what stayed and what went was not an easy task.

   
   

3. Another negative with the limited space is the fact that my chunky CRT takes up a large portion of the room. With floor realty being at an absolute premium, I struggled with keeping the TV. I absolutely LOVE playing older games on the TV and they look as good as they’ve always intended to be portrayed. I’ve managed to squeeze it into a space and make it work for now, but I don’t love it. I’m not sure the long term plan, but for now, it stays. Sucker is too heavy to move too often anyways…

   
   

4. One of the biggest negatives comes from the fact that the room is like one giant echo. Small as the room is, it’s a hardwood floor, and not carpet. That’s made it great for my chair to roll around on, and easier to slide the office furniture thanks to felt footings. But…the reverb. It’s…large. I tried recording something earlier and the reverb was quite noticeable. I have some cheap sound baffles that I could install, but I’m not sure how much it will actually help. I need to explore some solutions, but I don’t think any real solutions will be simple or cheap. I don’t want a makeshift ‘sound box’ that I have to record into and pull out each time I want to use it, so…I may have to setup my laptop and mic in the pantry and record in there. Oi…

   
   

5. The GOOD thing about moving into a new space is that it allowed me to make some changes to the setup. I had an old desk that I had been using for YEARS but I never loved it. It was functional, but I never really cared for it. I went with the online cliche for now…counter tops on Ikea shelving. It’s also…just okay. It works much better, and allows for much more desktop retail space, which I do love. Plus, with some extra shelving and less clutter, I have to admit I enjoy the space a lot. Even if the space is smaller and allows for less. I’ve made it work for now, and I’m digging it.

   
   

6. My goal for 2024 was to focus less on creatives and focus more on just playing video games and enjoying the hobby for what it is. So far, it’s gone really well and I’ve been enjoying it. I haven’t had as much time as I’d like for gaming in 2024, but not being anchored to playing games strictly for creative efforts has given me a sense of gaming freedom for the first time in many, many years, silly as that sounds.

   
   

7. I do miss making content, but I'm really unsure what to do anymore when it comes to the gaming space. I’ve been unable to think of anything that really brings excitement or motivation from a creative standpoint. I’ve debated some deep dive perspectives on a couple of games, so if I do anything, it might be that…but it requires a lot of work and I just don’t have a lot of time to dive into anything, so…I think keeping ideas on the shelf for now is the best place for them.

   
   

8. I’ll openly admit, I’ve felt a disconnect from the online gaming community in 2024 and I know there’s many factors that play into it. For one, being so busy doesn’t allow for me to hang out in those circles as much as I used to; streaming, Discord, etc. But…it’s also due to many folks spending less time on some of those platforms as well. Online platforms aren’t as ‘friendly’ as they used to be, so I understand why some folks want to spend less and less time there. I get it.

9. I mentioned in a previous edition of the Wally Wallcast that I was making a list of 10 games I wanted to complete in 2024, and so far…it’s…going ok? I’ve completed 9 games so far…but only two were on the actual list! I was able to complete Spider-Man 2 on the PS5 and Final Fight for the arcade (MiSTer). The other games included all Final Fantasy games (I-VI) from the Pixel Remaster series (Switch) and I finally put the final touches on Grand Theft Auto V (Steam) after years of never finishing it. There’s a couple of games I started that…I’m not sure I’ll go back to them. But I’ll touch more on them later in the year.

   
   

10. Those that follow me know that I love role playing games. My biggest and only gripe with them is how long they are. With someone limited on time, RPGs are not a gamer’s best friend due to the extended nature required to finish them. Two games I’ve played in 2024 are RPGs but…they’ve both lost, or failed, to hold onto my interest. I LOVE these types of games but perhaps knowing I don’t have it in me to stick with them is my mind telling me that they’re not the best use of my gaming time anymore. Not sure, because one I was really looking forward to playing through but I just can’t seem to get into it. I think it’s less to do with the game, and more to do with me not being fully invested when I sit down to play it.

    
    

11. One thing that has helped this year is not feeling the need to capture footage for everything I play. While it has been extremely useful in those moments when I want the footage for something, it was a bit crippling for a number of reasons. My capture card has been in the drawer for a long time. Much as not capturing has been better for 'pick up and play' sessions, future me may get a little frustrated with present me. Or, it’ll be a non-issue. We’ll see.

13. This was from a blog post early on in 2023 and though it hasn’t happened quite the way I envisioned, that’s not to suggest it hasn’t had some work done on it. I’ve had two different visions with this project since I started it. One, requires a lot more effort than the other. Both have high levels of satisfaction, but like I said, they’ve kind of developed into two different visions as I’ve developed it. I’m trying to see if I can merge them together or if I just go with one over the other. I need to make a decision on this sooner than later.

    
    

14. What am I playing right now? Currently, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow on the Playstation 3. It’s on my list of games I wanted to play in 2024, so I decided to fire it up recently. I purchased it a very long time ago, and I had played it for a couple of hours, but got sidetracked and never went back. Not a lot of love for this iteration of the franchise, and I suppose I can understand why, but after a couple of hours in, I’m enjoying it. Didn’t realize Kojima was involved in this game, but…you can see some subtle influences there, especially with the storytelling. Because…there’s a lot. 

    
    

15. Don’t look now…but a brand change may be incoming. Necessary? No. But…people like WeebleSpleen and I like to torture ourselves with indecision and creative outlets. This is one of those instances. We never like to make it easy.

    
    

16. My summer has been incredibly busy, but it’s been fun so far. For those that follow me or listen to the podcast, you know that I’ve been busy working a part-time gig with our local collegiate baseball team. Playoffs start this week and will be over by the end of next week, regardless of how they do. As much as I enjoy it, and having a few bucks to throw at hobbies and fun is nice, I’m ready for a rest. My kid’s extracurriculars started in September last year and went all the way until June. Baseball started at the end of May and runs until mid-August. By my count, I’ll have 2-3 weeks to breathe until the craziness of my schedule starts up again.

    
    

17. Oh, and because I’m a sucker for punishment, the local junior hockey club is looking to hire me to be their announcer for the upcoming season. 

    
    

18. I really should invest this money into a trip somewhere, rather than spend it on video games that I don’t have time to play anymore. I’ve always wanted to go to a convention somewhere and meet some folks, but I’ve always wanted to maximize the trip and see as many people as possible and I don't know where that'd be. I did originally have some loose plans to head south and do a trip to sleep on Sirhcman’s couch and squat with him and RunRunRosie before sitting around BraselTheGamer’s bar for a few nights. Real life got in the way of that, but it’s still something I’d like to plan, should the stars align properly.

    
    

19. I’ve said it previously, but outside of Nintendo’s successor to the Switch, I’m holding off on jumping on to modern consoles for the time being. I got in early with both the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X and while I have spent time with both and seen some value with them, they really weren’t worth the investment. Outside of hockey on the PS5 and some GamePass time (which was, to be fair, really great) they just don’t get any of my attention. It'll be PC and Nintendo moving forward, unless something really blows me away that makes buying a new console worth it, but…I’m not holding my breath for now.

    
    

20. I really thought over the last year and a half that I would find a way to get into streaming, but you know…I think that ship has sailed. Truth be told, with a hectic life schedule, I just don’t have it in me. By the time I get home from work, done with family commitments and other extras…when I sit down to play a game, I need that solitude of getting lost in a story. I think because real life has me in a lot of social situations, I don’t really have that need (or desire) to extend that into the evening. I’d like to think that I could do a few streams here or there, but…I just don’t think it’s in the stars.

    
    

21. I wish it was as easy as just walking away from any and all creative endeavours, but that’s just not how my mind is made up; I need to have some form of creative outlet. Whether it’s in the gaming space or somewhere else where my passions lead, I know that I can’t just NOT do something. I’ve tried walking away many times in the past, but it just keeps me coming back. I’m okay with that. 

    
    

22. The one area of life where I’m finding more success is giving myself some grace for things that I otherwise wouldn’t. I’ve always been someone who suffers from self esteem issues, and although I’ve enjoyed a lot of success in my adult life, those years as a kid scarred me for a very long time; to this day I struggle to take a compliment and always gravitate towards pessimism or the worst case scenario. But I’m really trying to get better.

    
    

23. I pulled out my 3DS recently. What a console. The Switch has since overtaken as my go-to console, but the 3DS had that title for many, many years. So many games I’ve yet to experience on that wonderful handheld, and I should rectify that.

    
    

I know I’m supposed to have 30 Thoughts here, but I feel if I add anymore, I’m just going to be stretching this out for the sake of filling it out.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope you’re well.